8 ways to appear more authoritative

Whether it’s your self-assured best friend or that coworker who always garners respect, some people just seem to have a natural air of
authority. But while it can feel like a quality you’re either born with or not, this type of boldness is actually an attitude you can learn to
project. From dressing the part to mastering proper email etiquette, the following simple behaviors can help you exude confidence in
every situation—read on to learn how.

Stand up while you’re on the phone.

It may sound silly, but getting up out of your chair while you're on an important call—whether it’s to your insurance provider or a
potential employer––can help make your voice sound more authoritative. “Your voice is closely linked to your body and physicality,”
says Susan Berkley, author of Speak to Influence and president of The Great Voice Company. “When you’re standing up and
gesticulating, you’re going to have more energy than if you’re sitting down, relaxing in your chair. You’re pumping yourself up
physically and it’s going to come through in your voice.” Plus, she notes that when we stand up straight, we breathe more fully,
enhancing the power of our voice. Photo: Ciaran Griffin/Thinkstock

Avoid turning statements into questions.

“It drives me nuts when I’m in a coffee shop and a woman places an order that sounds like a question: ‘I’d like a latte?’” says Ginny
Clarke, career coach and author of Career Mapping. “Do you or don’t you want a latte?” By allowing the tone of your voice to rise at the
end of a sentence, you’re subconsciously undermining your own authority by treating your statements as questions. “Tell someone what
you’re thinking,” Clarke stresses, “don’t ask them.” According to her, we often do this in mundane circumstances, like when ordering
food or responding to simple questions. To overcome this habit, she recommends keeping the three "Ds” in mind: Be decisive, definitive
and deliberate. “And never answer a question with a question,” she adds. “If you need clarification, lead with a statement like: ‘Let me
make sure I understand you. Are you asking if…’” Photo: David Humphrey/Thinkstock

Master the art of persuasion with these insightful pointers.

Dress the part.

Dressing for success doesn’t necessarily mean donning a suit. Instead, make a note of what everyone else is wearing, and emulate their
style in a put-together way. If the dress code at work is slacks and a button-down shirt, invest in a few sharp-looking separates that will
ensure you fit in with the office culture. “Dressing conservatively for the sake of getting respect will make you seem out of touch with
what the organization needs, and that can automatically undermine your authority,” says Dawn Chandler, a career management and HR
professor at the California Polytechnic State University. Photo: Siri Stafford/Thinkstock

Make eye contact.

Whether you’re giving a presentation to a roomful of people or negotiating a better deal on a car repair, making
eye contact is key. As Antoinette Kuritz, a publicist in San Diego, notes, when you’re so focused on what you’re
saying or doing it can be easy to converse with people without actually looking at them. “Making eye contact
infers that what you have to say is important and that the person to whom you are saying it is important, too,”
says Clarke. “People will remember you when they sense that you’ve really seen and paid attention to them.”
Photo: Jared DeCinque/Thinkstock

Pause before hitting Send.

Before firing off a hasty response to an email from your boss, wait a few extra minutes to see what other information you can gather.
Constant accessibility has become the norm these days, but a rapid reply simply acknowledging that you got her message, without a real
thoughtful answer to her question, isn’t the way to command respect. “Instead of sending five emails that don’t say much, stop and
gather good information so that you can provide her with a more considered answer.” Even better: When appropriate, head over to her
office to discuss her inquiry, or ask your own questions. By showing up in person you’ll appear more confident than if you quietly send
out a stream of emails. Photo: Hywit Dimyadi/Thinkstock
Make yourself visible at meetings.

When it comes to commanding authority, “having height helps,” says Clarke. “You want to stand as often as possible.” This means rising
when someone comes to chat with you at your desk or standing, when appropriate, during meetings. “By showing up right on time, once
all of the chairs are taken, you’ll be forced to stand, which will automatically give you a bigger presence in the room and your stature
will subtly connote authority.” Being so visible, you may also be called to question or comment first, which can work in your favor.
Photo: Comstock/Thinkstock

Dress to impress in this confidence-boosting outfit.

Don’t lead with a disclaimer.

According to Clarke, women tend to pepper their ideas with disclaimers and apologies, like “I don’t know if this will work, but…” or
“This might not be what you were thinking of, but…” Instead of giving your audience a reason to discount what may be an excellent
idea, present it without any judgment at all and let them decide what they think. You’ll be surprised at how much people will trust you if
you trust yourself. In situations that require a disclaimer, Clarke recommends making it after you’ve asserted your facts or opinion; for
example: “I don't think we should move forward with this project, unless of course I don't have the latest data that would suggest
otherwise.” Photo: Jonathan Ross/Thinkstock

Manage your boss’s expectations.

Think that promising to tackle that giant pile of expense reports by 5 p.m., despite having no experience with accounting, will endear
you to your boss? Offering to take on work that is outside your area of expertise won’t impress anyone—especially when you turn in a
less-than-stellar final product. On the other hand, avoiding projects like the plague won’t impress your superiors either, since being a
team player is essential for career development. If you’re asked to do (or want to volunteer for) something that you know you can’t
handle alone, be honest about your limitations, advises Clarke. “Say something like, ‘I’m always up for learning, but this project might
take me a little bit longer and I may need a few extra resources.’ People will respect you more for being honest rather then taking the
assignment, turning it in late and flubbing it.” Plus, you'll be able to manage your team’s expectations while still giving yourself a fair
shot to complete the work. Photo: Robyn Mackenzie/ThinkstockWomansDay.com.
8 Ways to Get Ahead at Work

Grab your boss’s attention by asking questions, solving problems and more

By Tori Rodriguez Posted May 10, 2011 from WomansDay.com

Photo: © iStockphoto

Even if you love your job, you’ll likely find yourself stuck in a rut at some point in your career. You may have gotten so good at what
you do that it has become automatic (and perhaps a bit boring), or maybe you’d like to ask for a raise but don’t know how to broach the
subject. Whatever your goal, we spoke to career experts to learn what techniques will help you gain momentum at work.

1. Take on diverse assignments.

If it seems like the only thing that ever changes about your job is the day of the week, it’s time to ask your boss for “stretch assignments”
to enhance your growth, says Jodi Glickman, president of a communication training firm and author of Great on the Job. Offer to help
with new projects, even ones that fall outside your department. Or, if you have a particular skill that isn’t part of your job description, be
on the lookout for opportunities to indulge your other areas of expertise. For instance, say you’re a teacher who also has a flair for
writing. “If your team is redesigning the curriculum or applying for a grant, offer to help write, edit or review the proposal,” suggests
Glickman. “By showcasing your natural talents, you’ll give people a chance to see another side of you, and you may open doors to new
opportunities you never even considered,” she explains. If there are no projects on the horizon, let it be known that you're available when
one does come along. “People will appreciate your initiative and will often find a way to make new assignments come your way over the
long term,” Glickman adds.

2. Put out fires before they start.

Let your boss know as soon as you become aware of a problem or potential problem, and offer possible solutions. This approach “shows
your boss that you’ve got good judgment and that you’re trying to make his or her life easier by taking an active role in the problem-
solving,” notes Glickman. Making things run more smoothly for your boss is a surefire way to improve your chances of getting a raise or
promotion, she adds.

3. Ask questions.

While it may seem like you’re doing your boss a favor by keeping questions to a minimum, you’re actually setting yourself up for failure
if you don’t ask for resources that will help you do the best job possible. When you’re given a new assignment, make sure you
understand exactly what’s required of you and how to do it. If anything isn’t clear, ask for guidance. According to Glickman, “the smart
way to ask for help is to ask your boss if she has a good recent example of a similar completed assignment that you can look at, or a
recommendation of someone you could speak with for direction.”
4. Find—and learn from—a mentor.

If you want to increase your visibility, says Hadley Earabino, a certified Martha Beck Life Coach who helps women with career choices,
“start taking notes: Who gets noticed? What is she doing that you can emulate? You don't have to reinvent the wheel. Model yourself
after someone whose techniques are already working.” Once you find a coworker you especially admire, let her know that you’d like to
help out if she ever needs assistance with a project, or let your manager know you’re eager to team up with this particular person.
Collaborating with well-respected employees can be a “great way for you to learn new skills, develop a new relationship and gain
visibility with other senior leaders within your organization,” Glickman says.

5. Get to the point.

We often overcommunicate for fear that we’ll leave out important details, but loading down listeners with too much information makes it
hard for them to take it all in. The solution? “Lead with the punch line,” advises Glickman. Whether you’re delivering good or bad news,
“think about what is new, different or important, and start with that. Don’t make people guess at your meaning or listen to a four-minute
voice mail when you could have delivered your key points in half the time.” If there’s time and attention to spare, then you can fill in
more details.

6. Take control of your career path.

If you feel like you're ready for more responsibility at work, meet with your boss to tell her what you’d like to take on while also asking
for advice on how you can prepare for this next step. “Be long-term focused and couch it in terms of your ability to contribute to the
organization in a broader way,” Glickman suggests. For instance, if you want more client interaction, she recommends saying: “I'd like
to expand my skill set and increase my impact, and I think I'd do well interacting with clients. Is there any way to give me some
additional exposure over the next three to six months?" Earabino suggests that “you might also try doing extra work before you're asked
to. If you do a stellar job, you'll be handed a similar project before you can finish the first one.” Of course, you don’t want to step on any
toes, but if you think a project would benefit from extra research, go ahead and do it without being asked, and report the findings to your
boss.

7. Mind your attitude.

“A good attitude is arguably one of the most important things you bring with you to the job,” says Glickman. “If you are open-minded
and willing to pitch in, or just do what's asked of you with a smile on your face, people will want to work with and for you.” But if
there’s a problem that you can’t ignore, instead of griping, Glickman suggests being proactive. First, highlight the issue (“I’d like to talk
to you about how we might be able to help the sales team better prepare for our meetings.”). Then, ask for rationale (“What are your
thoughts about why the sales team doesn’t have their reports ready for our weekly meetings?”). Finally, propose a solution (“Would it
help if we moved the meetings to later in the week?”).

8. Tout your accomplishments.

While it’s important to keep your boss informed of your successes, don’t overdo it by sharing every detail. Instead, Glickman
recommends scheduling quarterly discussions to update your manager about “what you've been working on and a few of the successes
you've had.” She explains, “Asking to sit down and catch up once a quarter is not too onerous, and any achievements are still relatively
recent.” Then, when you feel you deserve a raise or promotion, schedule a meeting with your boss in which you recap significant
contributions throughout the past year and share what you plan to contribute going forward. “If your boss refuses your request after
you've laid out your case, you need to ask, ‘What do I specifically need to do to get a raise or promotion next time?’” says Glickman.
“Find out so that you can meet those goals and make it happen.”